Slash Gear came across some interesting half-photos depicting a mystery HTC device. Heck nobody knows what operating system is loaded, but we can speculate! Slash Gear has had it suggested to them that this may be the HTC Incredible HD, also referred to as the HTC Mecha a potential LTE device.

You would assume a device wouldn’t be caught with its pants off, like the above photo, but it does give us a clear view of a dual flash to complement the camera.

Synology has outed its latest NAS, and the DiskStation DS1511+ certainly doesn’t skimp on storage space. The five-bay box can store up to 15TB alone, but will also link up with Synology’s DX510 expansion units for a total of 45TB. Meanwhile data is shuffled in and out fast, with Synology using link aggregation for up to 197MB/s read rates and 165MB/s write when in RAID 5 configuration.

Each of the drive bays are hot-swappable, and there are twin gigabit LAN ports for hooking up to your network. Keeping things churning are a 1.8GHz dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM (3GB supported), and there are four USB 2.0 ports and two eSATA for hooking up external drives or using the DS1511+ for printer sharing duties.

Despite the storage potential, Synology reckons the DS1511+ only gobbles down 68W in use, and since it runs the same great software as we reviewed on the Synology DiskStation DS211, you can set it up as everything from a basic network drive to a media server, mail server, FTP store, IP camera station and more. It’s available now, priced at around $870 for the drive-free DS1511+ unit itself, or in various pre-configured forms.

As information data increases exponentially by the minute, the performance of data transmission becomes a predominant requirement for setting up a centralized file server in a business environment. “With link aggregation, the DS1511+ surpasses its predecessor to deliver an astonishing 197 MB/sec in reading speed under RAID 5 configuration in a Windows® environment, and 165 MB/sec in writing,” said Chad Chiang, the product manager of Synology Inc. The 2 LAN structure with failover support coupled with hot-swappable drives thus ensure high data availability.

The DS1511+ provides space for five hard drives – with a single drive reaching a 3TB capacity – that can be scaled up to a total of 15 drives for a maximum of 45TB by connecting with two Synology DX510 expansion units. The default 1GB RAM can also be upgraded to 3GB to enhance work process performance. Running on a 1.8GHz dual-core processor, the DS1511+ only consumes 68 watts of power during operation, while the multiples scheduled on/off, wake on LAN/WAN and hard drive hibernation facilitate energy saving and low operating cost. The reliability of DS1511+ is solidified by Synology’s 3-year limited warranty.

Blessed by the Synology DiskStation Manager 3.0 (DSM 3.0) operation system, the DS1511+ can fit to a business environment easily. Windows ACL support allows for customized privilege setup on files and folders through existing Windows user interface. Moreover, user account can be managed more efficiently and productively by utilizing the Windows ADS integration to reduce burden of IT administration.

For anyone seeking an alternative of Storage-Area-Network (SAN), the affordable and cost-effective iSCSI support in DSM 3.0 allows SMB users to consolidate storage into data center storage arrays while providing hosts with the illusion of locally-attached disks. The DS1511+ also serves as a seamless storage solution for virtualization servers, such as VMware® vSphereTM, Microsoft Hyper-VTM, and Citrix® XenServerTM.

The Synology DS1511+ has many features that enhance the effectiveness of resource sharing. The comprehensive network protocol support assures seamless file sharing across Windows, Mac® and Linux platforms, while file access on the Internet is simplified by the encrypted FTP server and the web-based file browser. In terms of security protection, the presence of HTTPS, firewall, IP auto-block and AES 256-bit encryption engine provides users with a peace-of-mind during file sharing.

Viliv’s CES 2011 plans were previewed yesterday, with the company’s X7 and X10 Android tablets and X70 Windows 7 slate all mentioned, but it turns out that there’s a fourth device on the cards which could be even more interesting. Pocketables spotted a Viliv “Media Tablet Phone” mentioned in the invite email but not in any of the press shots, suggesting the company is looking to make an even smaller MID.

The company actually showed a small-scale Android device back at CES 2010, in the shape of the Viliv P3 PMP (shown above). That had a 3.7-inch AMOLED WVGA touchscreen, an 800MHz Cortex A8 processor and up to 32GB of storage, squeezed into a 9.8mm thick casing.

The P3 was also able to dual-boot between Android and Windows CE, though we’re guessing the new, unnamed Viliv “media tablet phone” will stick with just Google’s OS, but lacked any sort of cellular connectivity; Viliv was positioning it as an iPod touch rival, not an iPhone alternative. It seems they’ve corrected that mistake this time around.

From one HTC “leak” to another; this time it’s a mercifully full-fascia shot of the HTC EVO 4G Shift expected to frolic on Sprint’s WiMAX network sometime in the near future. As we can see from PhoneArena‘s photo smaller-screen version of the original HTC EVO 4G, making up for that with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, it’s also the first time we’ve seen the phone without its protective cover .

According to previous leaks, the EVO Shift 4G will run an 800MHz processor – just like the T-Mobile G2 and the HTC Desire Z – making for easier text-entry in a smaller device. It’s also tipped for a January 2011 release, which will put it in the midst of Verizon’s LTE phone announcements.

Looks like HTC and/or Verizon have been caught trying to muster a little pre-holiday excitement for the upcoming HTC Incredible HD (aka HTC Mecha), with our duo of “leaked” shots yesterday part of a set of six different partial images of the new smartphone. Engadget, Gizmodo, CrunchGear and Android Central all received the same bezel shot, but then added to that with pics of the handset’s microUSB port, camera, microSD card slot and power button respectively.

The collection of shots does certainly suggest that this is the Incredible HD, Verizon’s upcoming LTE 4G smartphone running Android with HTC’s own Sense UI. That’s expected to make its debut at CES 2011, as one of Verizon’s new range of high-speed 4G devices.

Interesting stuff, but next time HTC, perhaps it’d be easier to send out one batch of shots – and preferably one of the whole phone too.

The video game market has seen its ups and downs, much like any market in the world has seen, but it looks like it’s still doing pretty well for itself, as we close down 2010 and look forward to 2011. Unfortunately, while it may be doing well, it looks like it’s actually not as good as 2009. In a new report from Newzoo, a market research firm, total spending in the United States will top at about $24.7 billion, which is actually 2 percent lower when compared 2009.

The report from Newzoo is focusing only video games, and not the consoles gamers are playing them on. And, while the final results from the report may not be as promising as some may like, there’s no denying the fact that video games are still making money. What’s notable within the report, though, is where gamers are spending their money. While console games still take the majority of the pie, with a total $10.6 billion in total sales (which includes downloadable content (DLC) and handhelds) and accounting for 43% of the total, it’s looking more and more like gamers are spreading their money around, and buying games in varying ways.

Perhaps not surprising to most, social network-based gaming, and gaming on mobile devices saw some of the biggest increases from 2009. Social network gaming will see a projected $1.5 billion in total sales within 2010, which is a staggering 66 percent increase versus the year before. While mobile devices will see a projected increase of 46% over 2009, with total sales of $1.6 billion. Downloading games from the PC or Mac also saw an increase of 60%, with projectes sales targeted at $2.5 billion.

Since the release of publisher Activision and developer Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops, the companies have watched as their title steadily look over sales records, and sold millions of copies all over the world. In a matter of five days, the title had managed to pull in $650 million in total sales. And now, with the game’s first downloadable content for the Xbox 360 coming February 1st, Activision is happy to announce that the game is still selling like hot cakes.

In a press release, which you can read below, Activision announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops has officially not only reached, but surpassed $1 billion in total sales around the world. That’s $1 billion in just one month. That also means the game has garnered even more world records, breaking them along the way. Activision is also pleased to announce that the title has managed to rack up 600 million hours of total playtime in the multiplayer community since its launch. Microsoft helped solidify the game as a multiplayer juggernaut, as they announced that the average player logs on more than once every day, and stays logged in for more than one hour during their session.

“In all of entertainment, only Call of Duty and “Avatar” have ever achieved the billion dollar revenue milestone this quickly,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard.

Looks like that despite the terrible multiplayer experiences that players on the PC, and especially Sony’s PlayStation 3 home console are reporting, the game is still managing to sell. And, it will probably continue into the New Year. Let’s hope that more hot fixes are released in the interim, so more players can actually enjoy taking part in that 600 million hours.

In its first five days alone, the game sold more than $650 million worldwide, outpacing theatrical box office, book and video game sales records for five-day worldwide sell through in dollars, according to internal Activision estimates and boxofficemojo.com. The game exceeded Activision’s previous five-day worldwide record of $550 million set by last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® 2.

To date, more than 600 million hours have been logged playing Call of Duty: Black Ops since the game launched on November 9, 2010. According to Microsoft, the average player logs on more than once a day and plays for more than one hour each time. Over half of that time is spent playing online with and against friends, illustrating the unique social characteristics of the game.

“In all of entertainment, only Call of Duty and “Avatar” have ever achieved the billion dollar revenue milestone this quickly,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. “This is a tribute to the global appeal of the Call of Duty franchise, the exceptional talent at Treyarch and the hundreds of extraordinary people across our many Call of Duty studios including Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer that work tirelessly on the franchise. Our ability to provide the most compelling, immersive entertainment experience, and enhance it with regular, recurring content that delivers hundreds of hours of audience value, has allowed Call of Duty to continue to set sales and usage records.”

Kotick continued, “This extraordinary milestone was achieved because of the tens of millions of passionate Call of Duty players around the world. Global audiences have logged billions of hours online with Call of Duty games on Xbox LIVE, the Playstation Network and on personal computers. This unique level of community engagement has enabled Call of Duty to become one of the world’s most engaged online communities.

“Call of Duty continues to rewrite not just the record books, but also the rules of interactive entertainment,” says Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. “Even more remarkable than the number of units sold is the number of hours people are playing the game together online which are unprecedented. Call of Duty is more than a game, it’s a true community.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Language. For additional information about the game, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.
*All references cited are sourced according to www.boxofficemojo.com or www.guinnessworldrecords.com

There’s certainly no shortage of rumors regarding the next generation iPad. Especially not when it comes to the possibility that Apple may be working on a smaller version of their ridiculously popular tablet device. And while Apple is silent on the matter (not surprisingly), there’s a pretty big divide as to whether or not the Cupertino-based company really is planning on releasing a smaller variation. If you’re someone who believes pictures, then what you’re looking at below may make you pretty excited for what’s to come in 2011.

Then again, despite the fact it’s being held by a race car driver based out of Taiwan, named Jimmy Lin, there’s the very strong possibility that this is nothing more than a knock-off of the device people want so bad. Lin, though, is confident he is holding the next version of iPad, albeit much smaller. The picture’s just blurry enough that actually getting any details from the device in question is pretty hard. It sure does look like a smaller version of the iPad, but there are tons of replicas and knock-offs out there in the world, and this is very likely just another one. What do you think?

With iOS 4.2 still fresh in the market, and on iDevices, there’s no surprise that people are still stumbling onto new aspects of the latest version of Apple’s popular mobile Operating System. And while Augmented Reality may not be the one feature that’s on the tip of everyone’s tongue, it’s still interesting to see new ways that the technology can be implemented in our devices. Thanks to a company called Occipital, we now know that the gyroscope within the latest version of the iPhone, as well as the newest model of iPod Touch, can be used to bring some AR-based fun times.

Occipital has recently developed a panoramic photo application for the iPhone, and in their development process, stumbled on the feature they didn’t know could be accessed. The company has set up a demo that anyone with the right hardware (iPhone 4, latest generation iPod Touch), and iOS 4.2 installed, can enjoy right from within their browser. Just head through this link with your iOS-based mobile Safari browser, and have at it. Thanks to the gyroscope and panoramic photography with the application, you’ll be having some Augmented Reality fun in no time, right from within the browser.